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Wegman, Herman A.J. (1985). (Original Dutch, 1976). 'Chapter Three: The Roman-Frankish-Germanic Liturgy in the West: From Gregory I (590-604) to Gregory VII (1073-1085)." In Christian Worship in East and West: A Study Guide to Liturgical History. (pp. 143-203). (Translated by Gordon W. Lathrop). New York: Pueblo Publishing Company. (Personal Library)
Wegman describes the descent of Roman politics through the fifth and sixth centuries in chaotic terms, emphasizing the frequently shifting power structures as various invaders dominated different territories. Such bright spots that emerge include the Carolingians in the 8th century and the work of Boniface in Germany (Wegman 1985, p. 144).
A eucharistic controversy was present in the church during this period, one which Wegman takes as a defining issue in the subsequent period. About 825, the abbot Radbertus and his monk Ratramnus entered a dispute regarding whether in the eucharist the real presence of Christ was found, or whether it should be understood as a spiritual presence only (Wegman 1985, p. 147). Radbertus asserted the former, while Ratramnus asserted the latter. A difficulty in the dispute is the use of the word veritas to signify a truth from the past versus a present and ongoing reality (Wegman 1985, p. 148).
Webman takes linguistic and cultural/ethnic issues to be of significance during this period. While Christianity was preserved, the fall of Rome served to decentralize the Church. The cultures of the Germanic and Celtic regions rose in importance (Wegman 1985, p. 148). At the same time, Latin was preserved as the official churchly language, thus making clerics who understood the language to rise in importance (Wegman 1985, p. 149). Monks and priests preserved literature and served as a springboard to reform the Church in Rome and bring Christianity back to Spain and France.
The fourth and fifth centuries had seen a flowering of liturgy in the West, with what Wegman characterizes as "well-organized" and "local, . . . under the leadership of the bishop" liturgical expressions (Wegman 1985, p. 151). After this period, we find no evidence for new liturgical material. After some time, the Carolingians drew liturgy from Rome into use and suppressed indigenous liturgies. This resulted in a "Frankish liturgy" which was derived from earlier Roman sources (Wegman 1985, p. 151). However, the Roman sources were missing some elements which were considered necessary for the conditions in Aachen. Thus the liturgical framework was expanded based on both German and Frankish sources (Wegman 1985, p. 152).
Wegman describes the various sources for information on period liturgy. Sacramentaries and Missals are an important source. Wegman reviews a number of sacramentaries, books which provide texts spoken by a liturgist, along with some occasional rubrics (Wegman 1985, p. 153). The Gelasian Sacramentary, dating to the seventh century, gathers Roman and Gallican materials. A number of eighth century works based on it also exist. Wegman goes on to describe a number of others, dating through the start of the ninth century (Wegman 1985, pp. 154-155). The construction of sacramentaries eventually led to the missal, which brought together in one book all the readings, prayers, and other materials needed for the priest to conduct a eucharistic service (Wegman 1985, pp. 154,157).
Webman further observes that lists of pericopes used for readings in church, or lectionaries which provided the entire text to be used on particular days appeared in the sixth century, though they were known at that time to have existed earlier in some forms (Wegman 1985, p. 157).
A very useful resource in tracing liturgical development is the collection of ordines, which provide extensive rubrics for use with a sacramentary (Wegman 1985, p. 158). The ordines provide a picture of liturgical practice in a particular time and place, rather than simply providing the texts which would be used. Wegman provides a collated list of which ordines would apply to what liturgical circumstance.
Another significant source for our understanding of liturgy is the pontificale, which gathers orders of service and "prayers for all the liturgical celebrations except the eucharist" (Wegman 1985, p. 161), thus distinguishing it from a missal. These began to be produced in the ninth century. Because the pontificale described only services led by a bishop, additional books were made for services which could be led by a priest. This book was called the rituale. These appear by the eleventh century (Wegman 1985, p. 163).
Because the liturgical terms in use in the various recommended sources may be obscure, Wegman provides a brief glossary of terms (Wegman 1985, pp. 164-170).
Having surveyed individual sources of liturgical information, Wegman synthesizes the data by topic. Daily prayer offices grew up, particularly in monasteries and large cities (Wegman 1985, p. 171). Sunday became a day when particular emphasis would be given to the trinitarian nature of Christianity (Wegman 1985, p. 173). The development of pericopes to be read on all the Sundays and festivals was solidified into a form much like that remaining in the twentieth century (Wegman 1985, p. 173). The sacrament of baptism became more solidified in this period, with many specific references to newborn children. Wegman observes that all new converts were referred to as infantes but that some were parvuli, indicating their youth (Wegman 1985, p. 178). Confirmation subsequent to baptism appears clearly in this time period. While confirmation had earlier been an anointing with oil just after the baptism, it now came to be a laying on of hands at a separate time (Wegman 1985, p. 182).
The various liturgical works describe the events of the eucharist in detail (Wegman 1985, pp. 183ff). Particularly in the north, due to language barriers, it tended to become a spectator event rather than maintaining active participation on the part of the congregation (Wegman 1985, p. 185). The order of the Mass generated multiple works which reflected practice in different locations (Wegman 1985, pp. 189ff).
In this time period a custom of private masses was begun, though it developed more fully at a later time (Wegman 1985, p. 192). The private mass was performed with no congregation present. The practice began within monastic orders, as those communities developed priests without congregations. Then people began asking that a mass be read for a particular occasion, with or without their presence (Wegman 1985, p. 193). About this time, we can also see the development of written commentaries describing what happens in the mass. These were intended to train priests (Wegman 1985, p. 195).
Lesser liturgies may also be described in documents from the sixth century onward. Wegman provides a number of period prayers related to reception, confession, and reconciliation of penitents (Wegman 1985, pp. 196 ff). Practices of penitence were corporate in nature at the start of our period. However, private penance, involving confession, an assigned penance, and reconciliation were transacted between the penitent and his priest (Wegman 1985, pp. 200-201). In closing, Wegman briefly discusses liturgies pertaining to ordination and the end of life (Wegman 1985, pp. 202-203). These are also found detailed in the sources from the sixth century and beyond.